RIYADH, 8 April 2020:
As Saudi Arabia imposes new restrictions to try to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, the country’s health minister yesterday said the Arab nation is expecting Covid-19 cases to reach 200,000 within weeks.
“Studies conducted by Saudi and international experts predict the number of virus infections will range from a minimum of 10,000 to a maximum of 200,000 during the next few weeks,” said Saudi health minister Tawfik al-Rabiah, reported state-run news agency SPA.
2,795 people have already tested positive for coronavirus in the 34 million people country, where the death toll stands at 41.
Al-Rabiah said further restrictions were needed to contain the virus in the country with the highest number of cases in the region, as people were ignoring warnings against social contact and large gatherings.
On Monday, the kingdom imposed a 24-hour curfew on the cities of Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran, Hofuf, Jeddah, Taif, Qatif and Khobar to curb the spread of the disease.
Saudi Arabia has suspended international flights, closed all schools and cinemas, postponed events and limited public gatherings. The Arab nation has told Saudis to only leave their homes for essential purposes and has announced measures and guidelines to support the economy.
The country has also imposed unprecedented rules to tackle the outbreak such as suspending the entry of both national and foreign worshippers wanting to complete umrah pilgrimage to Mecca or to visit the Prophet Mohammad’s Mosque in Medina. Both cities host millions of pilgrims every year.
The new coronavirus was first recorded in China in December and has spread around the world with 1,365,004 confirmed cases and 76,507 deaths in more than 180 countries.
The World Health Organisation officially called the disease Covid-19, while the virus which causes it was named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.
Symptoms of the disease are in many cases similar to those of a cold but may be accompanied by fever and fatigue, dry cough and shortness of breath.
– EFE